"Samsung and SK Semiconductors: Honam Is the Answer"...Kaeho Lee Says "Advanced Industrial Complex 3 Zone Is the Optimal Site"

Reflecting Government Philosophy: RE100, Power Grid, and Balanced Development

Kaeho Lee, a member of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Damyang, Hampyeong, Yeonggwang, and Jangseong), stated his position regarding Samsung Electronics and SK hynix's plans to establish semiconductor plants in the Honam region, asserting that "the Gwangju-Jeonnam Advanced Industrial Complex 3 Zone is the optimal location."

On June 10, Assemblyman Lee issued a statement, saying, "This initiative is an extraordinary measure that reflects the Lee Jaemyung administration's philosophy of balanced national development," and evaluated it as "a decisive opportunity to ease the concentration in the Seoul metropolitan area and to restructure the national industrial landscape."

He emphasized that attracting semiconductor plants to Honam could simultaneously address three major challenges: resolving electrical grid bottlenecks, expanding the use of renewable energy, and promoting balanced regional development.

Kaeho Lee

He stated, "Honam, with its abundant renewable energy resources, is the only domestic alternative capable of achieving both 'local production for local consumption' and RE100 at the same time."

He also directly cited international examples to support his argument.

Assemblyman Lee explained, "The United States and Europe are already locating semiconductor plants and data centers near renewable energy production sites," adding, "The operations of TSMC in Taiwan and the overseas production bases of Samsung Electronics, such as the Xi'an plant in China, also follow this trend of a distributed strategy."

Regarding the location's competitiveness, Assemblyman Lee said, "The Advanced Industrial Complex 3 Zone, which spans both Gwangju and Jangseong, already meets the basic requirements of a stable power grid and abundant industrial water supply," and noted, "The commencement of the Pine Data Center project has also demonstrated the area's capacity for large-scale electricity and water resource supply."

He further added, "There is an immediate potential to create industrial synergy, as semiconductor material and component companies, as well as AI infrastructure, are concentrated nearby," emphasizing that "the talent pipeline connected with institutions such as Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Chonnam National University, and Korea Electric Power Corporation University is also a strong advantage."

He reiterated the need for 'speed.'

He stressed, "We must not repeat the past delays experienced in transmission line and nuclear power plant connection projects," and emphasized that "with the launch of the unified Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City, full support from the government and local authorities is needed to make the Advanced Industrial Complex 3 Zone the new heart of South Korea's semiconductor industry."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.